Improvement in grain-drills



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OHAPIN STREET, OF BARRE CENTRE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-DRILLS.

Speciication forming part of Letters Patent No. 12,973, dated May 29, 185:5.

To all rhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAPIN STREET, of Barre Centre, in the county of Orleans and State ot'New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin GrainDrills5 and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a perspective view of my improvement. Fig. 2 is an end view of one portion detached. Fig. 3 is a view of theliftiug-board. Fig. 4 is a bottom view oftheseed-distributer5 Fig. 5, hollow guide; Fig. 6,end seetionview; Fig. 7, view ofthe end opposite to Fig. 25 Fig. S, tubular seed-guide; Fig. 9, side section.

Similar letters refer to like parts. i

a b g k b', frame ofthe machine; c, stop; d, bearing; e, sliding cam; f, axle-trees; h, lifting-board 5 71.', lever; h2, notch 5 t', support 5 l, seed-box; m, seedguards 5 a, seed-distributer; o, seed-chambers; o', dust-box 5 p g, seed-guides; r, drills 5 r', connecting-rod; r2, bearing of the same 5 V- s, liftiug-rope5 t, .distributer-spring; t', adjusting-screw; u, connecting-rod; fv, eamwheel; w, wheels; zr, seed-passage 5 a, dustholes 5 y, adjusting-screw.

The seed-box l in my improvement is constructed in the usual manner and placed upon two wheels, er, with arms oraxles attached in any substantial manner to the two side timbers b b ofthe frame-work. The seed-box l is eIevated on these two side timbers by means of blocks placed on them. Upon one ofthe wheels there is attached an inner wheel, c, one surface of which is cut outso as to form a series ofcams. A spring, t, at the other en d of the machine presses upon one end ofthe distributera. This seed-distributer passes through the bottom of the seed-box, the other end emerging and being pressed against the cam-wheel c. (Jousequently by the revolution of the wheel wand the cam-wheel oa reciprocating motion is communicated to the seed-distributer n. This seeddistributer is perforated with small holes on its upper surface, which pass through into small seed-chambers o on the under side. The construction of this seed-distributer and the perforations may be seen by reference to Figs. 4, 6, and 9.

The bottozn ot' l is slotted longitudinally throughout its entire length,which permits the seed to fall on the top ofthe seed-distributer n. At equal distances on the bottom of the seedbox, and across the opening in the bottom of the seed-box, small metallic guards m are attached. These guards are so arranged as to cover alternately the seed-holes in the distributer n. The guards m also serve to prevent the seeds from clogging, for by the reciprocating motion of the distributer ln., it' any of the seeds become clogged, they are shaken apart and separated by contact with the guards m. The guards m are elevated above the distributer a, varying according to the size ofthe grain to be sown-for wheat about one and one-eighth ofan inch, and other grain accordingly.

The lower part of distributer n rests on the frame b. This frameisperforated at equal distances to correspond with the chambers o in the seed-distributer a, and it is through these perforationsx that the seed, after having passed from theseed-box land through thedistributer a into the chambers o, falls into the guides p, and thence through q into the drills r and to the ground. The seed guards p are made trough-fashion, or open ou the upper side their entire length. By this arrangement the operator will be enabled easily to detect any obstruction that may occur by observing an unequal llow ot' seed through the guides p. vAt their lower extremities the guides q are attached or hinged, passing down within the eavit-y of the drill-spouts, butnotattached to them nor governed by their motion. These guides are also hinged on the bottom of the seed-.box by means of a wire passing through them and running` longitudinally the entire length ofthe box, and supported by hooks driven into the bottom of the box l, so that when the drills are raised to their highest point of elevation the guidesp and q are also allowed to rise with them without injury.l They also have another important object-viz., by extending them back at a sufficient angle to allow the grain to How freely. The drills may also be brought wheel '11.

back from under the seed-box, where they are easy of access, and can be raised independently without the aid of machinery.

By the reciprocating motion of a the seedholes are exposed to the seed alternately. While one hole is presented to the seed the other hole is beneath the guard m.

The frame beneath the seed-box Z is also perforated at equal distances opposite and immediately beneath the dust-boxes o. These dust;- hoxes, it will be perceived,areformed by making the seed-distributer n alittle smaller on its sides and on thebottom. Thispeculiarconstruction enables the seed-distributor n to perform its movements withoutobstruction from friction or dust, the dust and grit being all collected into the dust chambers 0, from whence it passes out of the machine through the apertures x.

The quantity of seed sown is of course regulated by the action ot' the seed-distribnter n. Itn is made to stand still, no seed will fall i'rom the machine. The quantity which falls dcpends upon whether the distributern is allowed to move to the t'ull depth ot1 each cam `on the The movement of the distribnter u is regulated by the spring t, which bears upon one end. The strength with which the spring t bears upon n is regulated by the adjusting- Vscrew t. The distance which the spring presses is regulated by the adjusting-screw y. When the screw y is drawn back, as seen in Fig. 9, the spring is allowed to give the distributer u all the movement that the cam-wheel c will permit; but by screwing up y it is plain that the spring twill be pushed away from the seeddistributer n. Consequently no movement will be given to n by the cam-wheel c.

When it is desirable to sow only a given quantity of seed to the acre the movement to a fraction may be regulated by the screw y.

In going to and returning t'rom a tield or portion of a field, or in bringing the machine about after crossing a eld, it is necessary that some means should be employed to stop the feed and also to commenceitinstantly. This is aecomplished by the lever It', which is attached to the lifting-board h, the latter passing across the machine in t'ront ot' the seed-bog, as seen in Fig. l.

A support, t', to which is attached a connecting-rod, u, will be noticed at one end of 1L in Fig. 3. This connecting-rod u is fastened to the sliding cam e,which moves in a slot at one end of the machine, as shown in Fig. 7. By raising the lever h' the lifting-board h is also elevated and cam e drawn forward by means of the connectii'ig-rod a. l1`he cam e, it will be observed, in moving forward, presses out the spring t, sothat it cannot come in contact with the distributer n. Therefore as long as the lifting-board It is retained in an elevated position the distributer n will not nieve, and there will be no discharge ot' seed from the machine. The lifting-board h also has anotherofce. By means ot' small hooksupon its upperends cords s are fastened, which are attached to connecting-rod t", the latter being hinged at r2 and also with t.

In throwing up the. lever h the connecting.;-A

rods r are also drawn up, and with them the drills c, so that. not only is the seed stopped from discharging, but the drills are also litted clear from all obstruction. The lever h is allowed to turn alittle at the point of its attachment with It. This permits lt' to be fastened in a notch (seen at h2) when it is elevated.

Having thus described my invention, l claim-- l. The seed-distributermwith its seed-chambers o and dust-boxes o', in combination with the cam-wheel e, the spring t, and adjustingscrews t and y.

2. I do not claim the lifting-board'h, nor the conductorsp and q, nor drills t', separately; but what I do claim is their pecular arrangement and connection with the sliding cam c, as set forth. l

' CHAPIN STREET. YVitnesses:

B. MA'risoN, B. G. MARTIN. 

